Let us understand Turn Around of Indian Railways .

Railways has entered in the elite group of billion plus club in freight movement with national transporter achieving the loading target of 1,007 million tonnes (MT) by end-March.

As railways transported around 1,010 MT freight against the target of 1,007 MT for 2012-13, it joins billion plus group along with China, Russia and the US.

In March alone, railways carried 99 MT goods as against an average of 80 MT to 85 MT being carried every month. While USA carried 1,380 MT, Russia’s loading was 1,200 MT and China touched 1,100 MT mark in 2012-13.

In 2011-12, railways had marginally failed to achieve the loading target as the national transporter could carry 969.8 MT against the target of 970 MT.

This show railways has registered an incremental loading of 40 million tonnes (4.1% growth) in comparison with last fiscal.

Under the freight loading strategy, railways focused on enhancing evacuation of coal from Coal India Limited (CIL) sources and during last month on an average 228 rakes/day were loaded from CIL sources.

Railways also transported 39.29 million tonnes of foodgrains on Food Corporation of India’s ( FCI) account in 2012-13 as against 33.71 million tonnes in 2011-12.

“Special effort was made to ensure transport of coal to power houses as the demand started increasing from July 2012. The demand for cement, iron ore and steel loading was also picked up later,” an official said.